[Guidelines for the treatment of arterial hypertension in diabetic patients]

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is frequently associated with arterial hypertension and the combination of the two entities markedly increases the cardiovascular risk and accelerates the progression of microangiopathy (more particularly nephropathy) in both type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients. Numerous international guidelines have been published during the last few years to help the practitioner in targeting ideal arterial blood pressure levels (lower in diabetic than in non-diabetic patients) and in selecting first-choice antihypertensive agents. We will concisely summarize the main messages of these recommendations and insist upon the persistence of uncertainties, or even the existence of inconsistencies, more particularly regarding preferential indications of antihypertensive agents in diabetic patients.